LAHORE, March 4: Out of the 1,600 out-of-turn house building loans and motorcycle and car advances sanctioned by the Punjab finance department for payment of Rs80 million to the provincial government employees , around 1,400 sanctions (of Rs70 million) lapsed on Feb 29 due to unavailability of funds.

Stating this at a meeting here on Thursday, Punjab Accountant General Wazir Ahmad Qureshi said Rs150 million allocated by the provincial government for house building loans and motorcycle and car advances for its employees had been exhausted in the first week of December last year.

The finance department, however, continued sanctioning out-of-turn loans and advances to the government employees without making the requisite budgetary allocations for the purpose.

He said the AG's Office was approaching the provincial finance department for its advice on the fate of the lapsed sanctions, as the employees concerned were running from pillar to post for getting the funds. All the 1,600 sanctions were also being returned.

He said the sanctions without allocations were a flagrant violation of Article 44 of the Audit Code and could not be entertained by the AG's Office. He said the provincial government had devised the policy of allowing the house building loans and motorcycle and car advances to its employees on a seniority basis in 2003.

Registration of all the employees desirous of availing themselves of the facility with the AG's Office was mandatory under the provisions of the policy. The finance department was required to mention the seniority number of each government employee being allowed the loan or advance facility along with the availability of funds in every sanction letter.

Mr Qureshi said he had informed the Punjab finance minister, finance secretary and the department about the exhaustion of the funds in December with a request for allocation of additional budget, but had received no answer despite repeated reminders.